Disseminated tuberculosis with myelofibrosis presentation: a case report

BACKGROUND: Primary myelofibrosis is a rare myeloproliferative disorder in middle-aged and old adults and should be distinguished from secondary and reactive causes of bone marrow fibrosis because, in reactive fibrosis, treatment approaches depend on the underlying etiology. CASE PRESENTATION: Here we report the case of a middle-aged Iranian man who was diagnosed and treated as primary myelofibrosis at presentation, and whose final diagnosis was disseminated tuberculosis with reactive bone marrow fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS: It is prudent to evaluate the potential causes of myelofibrosis in any patient with the diagnosis primary myelofibrosis. Tuberculosis can be an important etiology of bone marrow fibrosis, especially in endemic areas.